Cartridge and method for removing film from the cartridge



United States Patent l l3,550,877

[72] inventors ob 3,208,686 9/1965 Edwards et al. 242/ I94 Archie J.Tucker, Rochester, N.Y. 1 pp No. 813 526 PrlmaryExaminer-Nathan L.Mlntzt E Filed 4 1969 AltomeysR. W.'Hampton and William F. De Laney, Jr.[45] Patented Dec. 29, 1970 [73] Assignee Eastman Kodak CompanyRochester, N.Y. a comma of NW Jersey ABSTRACT: A method of removingexposed film from camera cartridges of the type having a takeup spool onwhich the film is wound, and having an antibackup shuttle which [54] gREMOWNG prevents reverse rotation of the spool to unwind the film. The 5Claims 6 Drawin H s antibackup shuttle is disabled by a punch whichpunctures the g g side of the cartridge and displaces the shuttleaxially to an in- U.S. o erative osition in a cavity defined the spooland the ex. [5]] Int. Cl G03b 1/04 posed film is then unwound throughthe exposure aperture as the pool rotates in reverse To facilitateoperation of the 194, punch the cartridge can be provided with openingsdefined by the internal structure of the cartridge along thepredetermined References cued path of the punch. A sidewall of thecartridge can define UNITED STATE P T weakened portions where the wallis to be punctured to 1,136,335 4/ l 9l5 Hetherington 242/ 180 re uceresistance to puncture.

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ERT C. SUTLIFF HIE J. TUCKER INVENTORS BY 2 4 WM w M ATTORNEYSPATEminneazsmm 3550,87?

SHEET20F3 F l G 5 ROBERT C. SUT ARCHIE J. TUCKER INVENTORS ATTORNEYSPATENTEUUEEZQISYG 3550.877

' sum 3 or 3 ERT C. SUTLIFF HIE J. TUCKER INVENTORS ATTORNEYS CARTRIDGEAND METHOD FOR REMOVING FILM FROM THE CARTRIDGE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to film cartridges in which aroll of film is sealed before, during and after exposure in a camera,and to a method and apparatus for'removing exposed film from suchcartridges for processing.

Many commercially available movie camera cartridges include asubstantially rectangular housing in which a supply roll of film and atakeup spool are rotatable mounted in a side-byside coaxial relation,such as disclosed for example in US. Pat. No. 3,208,686 issued Sept. 28,1965 in the name of E. A. Edwards et al. As initially loaded, a filmleader is pulled from the supply roll, threaded past an exposureaperture in'an end wall of the cartridge and then attached to the takeupspool. After being so loaded with unexposed film, the housing is closedand sealed by one or more covers.

Usually such cartridges also include devices to overcome the tendency ofcoiled film to clockspring when the cartridge is subjected to sharpmovements. The term clockspring, as used herein, means radialdisplacement of successive outer convolutions of a film roll, caused bythe tendency of the roll to unwind. Anticlockspring devices in the thetakeup chamber of most commercial cartridges operate on the takeup spoolin such a manner that reverse rotation of the spool is prevented, sothat film on the spool cannot be unwound. Such devices often comprise apawl and ratchet arrangement wherein a shuttle with a plurality of teethengages teeth on the spool to prevent rotation of the spool in suchdirection. However, such devices prevent the film from being driven in areverse direction for removal of the exposed film through the exposureaperture of the cartridge.

When the film in such a cartridge is to be exposed, the cartridge isplaced in a motion picture camera adapted to accommodate the cartridge,and a film advancing mechanism in the camera engages perforations in thefilm during operation of the camera to intermittently pull film from thesupply coil and transport it past the exposure aperture to the takeupspool. A takeup drive in the camera is coupled to the takeup spool ofthe cartridge to positively drive the core to wind up the exposed film.

When the film has been completely exposed, such cartridges may be sentintact to a processor. The processor must remove the film from thecartridge without exposing it to light, and this is presentlyaccomplished by breaking the cartridge open and removing the film in adarkened area. A method and apparatus for opening expendable filmcartridges is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,265,263 whichissued to A. M. Lafontant et al. on Aug. 9, I966. The film may then beremoved and wound onto a large processing supply reel or be fed directlyinto a processing tank adapted to handle short lengths of film. Eithermethod usually requires that exposed rolls of film be handled in thedark without losing control of the spool of film. The processor mustalso avoid scratching or damaging the film by chips of plastic resultingfrom the opening of the cartridge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide animproved method and apparatus for removing exposed film from cameracartridges of the type having means for preventing reverse In thedisclosed embodiment of the invention an antibackup shuttle in such acartridge is disengaged from the takeup spool by a punch which puncturesthe side of the cartridge and displaces the shuttle axially to aninoperative position in a cavity defined by the spool, where it isretained while the film is unwound from the core and withdrawn throughthe exposure aperture. Preferably, the punch has two'prongs which areadapted to puncture the supply side of the cartridge, proceed throughopenings defined by the internal structure of the cartridge along thepredetermined paths of the prongs, and displace the shuttle axially intoa cavity defined in the takeup spool. The shuttle has a slightly largerouter radial dimension than the cavity,- so that the shuttle is deformedas it is pushed into the cavity by the punch. When the punch iswithdrawn, the tendency of the shuttle to return to its original shapeforces the outer edges of the shuttle against the walls of the cavity inan interference fit to retain the shuttle within the cavity. In thisembodiment the cavity is provided with a rim along the periphery of itssidewall to prevent the shuttle from sliding out of the cavity.

To permit easier operation of the punch, a cartridge according to apreferred embodiment of this invention is provided with a cover on thesupply side having one or more areas which are structurally weakened topermit easier puncturing by the punch, and the hub in the supply chamberof such cartridges is provided with openings along the predeterminedpath of the punch to provide the prongs with easier access to theshuttle.

This invention permits a processor to splice the trailing end of theexposed film in the exposure aperture of a cartridge to a leader or toattach it to a large rewind reel, and to disengage the shuttle in alighted area because the film remains in the unopened cartridge duringthese steps. The cartridge and unwind mechanism may then be enclosedwithin a darkened chamber as film is withdrawn from the cartridge. Sincethe cartridge need not be broken open for film removal according to thisinvention, the processor need not concern himself with losing control ofthe exposed roll of film nor about scratches or damage resulting fromchips of plastic resulting from opening the cartridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of acartridge according to the invention with a portion of the cartridgehousing broken away, and a punch aligned with respect to the cartridgeon a predetermined path to disengage an antibackup shuttle in thecartridge;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 1 takenalong the lines 2-2, and a side view of the punch;

FIG. 3 is a plane view of the antibackup shuttle in the cartridge, and across-sectional view of the takeup core;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the cartridgeshown in FIG. 1 with the punch inserted into the cartridge and with theshuttle displaced into core cavity;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of the punctured cartridge with thepunch withdrawn showing the shuttle captured within the core cavity; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a cartridge with portions of the housingbroken away, and a rewind reel on which film removed from the cartridgeis wound.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As shown in the drawings film F iswithdrawn from a cartridge 10 according to a preferred embodiment ofthis invention which is particularly adapted for film removal accordingto the method of this invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 the cartridge 10 includes a substantially of thepartition 12 is a takeup spool 17 for receiving and winding up exposedfilm F. As initially loaded, a film leader is pulled from the supplyroll, threaded past an exposure aperture 18 in an end wall of thecartridge and then attached to the takeup spool 17 in the takeup chamber14.

To prevent film wound on the takeup spool from clockspringing, thecartridge includes an antibackup shuttle 19 mounted for transversemovement on the partition 12 with respect to the axis of rotation of thetakeup spool. The shuttle 19 has inwardly extending teeth 20 whichengage teeth 21 on the takeup spool. As seen more clearly in FIG. 3 theteeth 20 define gradually inclined surfaces 22 and sharply inclinedsurfaces 23, such that rotation of the takeup spool in a clockwisedirection as viewed from the takeup side of the cartridge will cause theshuttle 19 to oscillate transversely to the axis of rotation of thespool with little resistance provided by the gradually inclined surfaces22 of the teeth 20. However, rotation of the spool in a counterclockwisedirection will cause one of the teeth 21 on the spool to operativelyengage the sharply inclined surface 23 of one of the teeth 20 on theshuttle, so that rotation of the spool is prevented in that directionand film cannot be unwound from thespool.

According to the method of this invention, exposed film is removed fromthe cartridge 10 by disengaging the antibackup shuttle 19 from the spool17 and withdrawing the film through the the exposure aperture 18 as thespool 17 rotates in reverse. In the disclosed embodiment the shuttle 19is disengaged by a punch 25 having two prongs 26 which are adapted topuncture the supply side of the cartridge housing, engage the shuttle,and displace the shuttle axially toward the takeup side of the cartridgeinto a cavity 27 defined by the takeup spool 17. Along the peripheraledge of the cavity 27, the spool 17 is provided with a rim 24 extendingradially inwardly such that the mouth of the cavity is reduced slightlyin size. To permit easier operation of the punch 25, cartridge 10 isprovided with a cover 11 having two portions 28 on the supply side ofthe cartridge, which are structurally weakened to permit easierpuncturing by the punch prongs 26. In addition, the hub in the cartridgesupply chamber is provided with openings 29 located in the predeterminedpaths of the prongs 26 of the punch 25. The openings 29 are ofsufficient size to provide clearance for the prongs to gain access tothe shuttle 19.

ln order to disengage the shuttle 19 according to this invention, asseen more clearly in FIG. 4, the punch punctures the two weakenedportions of the cover 11, passes through the holes 29 in the hub 15 anddeforms the shuttle 19 into a dished shape concave towards the punch asthe shuttle is pushed into the cavity 27 defined by the spool 17. Whenthe punch is withdrawn from the cartridge, as seen in FIG. 5, theshuttle 19 tends to return to its original flat shape, but it isprevented from doing so by the walls of the cavity 27 engaging tabs 19'on the shuttle. Thus, the deformed shuttle exerts force against thewalls of the cavity, and it is retained within the cavity by aninterference fit and by engagement of the rim 24 with the tabs 19. Withthe shuttle disengaged in this manner the film may be attached to arewind reel 30, as seen in FIG. 6, so that the 'exposed film may bewithdrawn from the cartridge onto the tridge having a housing definingan exposure aperture, means defining a takeup chamber within thehousing, means for guiding film past the exposure aperture to the takeupchamber, a takeup spool rotatably mounted in the takeup chamber with alead portion of the film attached to the spool for winding up exposedfilm, and antibackup means for preventing rotation of the spool in onedirection and for permitting rotation of the spool in the oppositedirection forwinding up film, said method comprising the steps of:

driving a punch through the cartridge housing to displace the antibackupmeans to aninoperative position; and I withdrawing the film through theexposure aperture as the film is unwound from the takeup spool.

2. The method of removing film from a cartridge, said cartridge having ahousing defining an exposure aperture, means defining a takeup chamberwithin the housing, means for guiding film past the exposure aperture tothe takeup chamber, a takeup spool rotatably mounted in the takeupchamber with a lead portion of the film attached to the spool forwinding up exposed film, and an antibackup shuttle for preventingrotation of the spool in one direction and forpermitting rotation of thespool in the opposite direction for winding up film, said the cavity;and

withdrawing the film through the exposure aperture as the film isunwound from the takeup roll.

3. A film cartridge for use in a motion picture camera and adapted forcooperation with a tool to remove film therefrom, said cartridgecomprising:

a housing defining an exposure aperture;

a partition within said housing to separate the interior of the housinginto a supply chamber and a takeup chamber;

a hub in the supply chamber for rotatably supporting a supply coil offilm'so that it can be withdrawn therefrom, said hub defining at leastone opening on a predetermined path to permit passage of a tool alongthat path;

guide means for guiding film advanced by the film advancing means fromthe supply chamber past the exposure aperture to the takeup chamber; atakeup spool rotatably mounted in the takeup chamber for winding up theadvanced film; and

antibackup means mounted in the cartridge and engaging the spool toprevent reverse rotation of the spool, said spool defining a recess forreceiving and retaining the antibackup means when it is displaced by atool inserted through the opening in the hub, whereby the antibackupmeans can be disabled by the tool to permit film to be unwound from thespool and withdrawn from the cartridge through the exposure aperture.

4. An improved film cartridge as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housingincludes a sidewall having a predetermined thickness with a portion ofsaid wall having a thickness less than the predetermined thickness tostructurally weaken said portion, said portion of said sidewall beinglocated along the predetermined path to reduce the force required topuncture the sidewall along the predetermined path.

5. An improved film cartridge as claimed in claim 3 wherein the spoolhas means for retaining the antibackup means within said recess, whenthe antibackup means is displaced into said recess.

